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Part 11: Israel In Egypt

by Pastor J. C. O'Hair

“For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, He swear by Himself.”

Romans 11:29

“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

As we open the Book of Exodus we find Note these several verses:

Exodus 1:5 to 8

“And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls; for Joseph was in Egypt already. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.”

The Nation Israel was born about 1700 B. C. About 70 Israelites went down to Egypt about that time.

Pharaoh gave orders to destroy the male babies born in the Israelitish families:

“And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.” Exodus 1:22.

THE BIRTH OF MOSES

Exodus 2:1 to 10

“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along, by the river’s side: and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.”

Moses lived in Egypt until he was 40 years old. Then he left Egypt and dwelt in the land of Midian. Exodus 2:15. There Moses became a shepherd for his father-in-law, and lived until he was 80 years of age.

In the meantime, Pharaoh, in Egypt, was persecuting and afflicting God’s people Israel. More than 400 years before this time God had told Abram about this

Genesis 15:13 to 16

“And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

Now remember that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. In this connection we rejoice in Titus 1:2: “In the hope of eternal life, which God, That cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

Reverently speaking, God cannot do anything but save the sinner who will receive Jesus Christ as Saviour. God cannot lie. The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23. And all of this means that God is going to do something about it: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

There are about 18 million Jews in the world today. Note what God says concerning Israel: “I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom and Israel is defiled.” Hosea 5:3. The Jews are suffering some from the hands of the Gentiles. They are going to suffer much more. And again God will hear, remember, look and have respect and act.

Romans 11:25 to 28

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, whey I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. “

God swore by Himself. Note again God’s guarantee to Israel in:

Genesis 17:7 and 8

“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

JEHOVAH APPEARS UNTO MOSES

Moses is to be Israel’s deliverer.

Exodus 3:1 to 16

1 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ Journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.”

Moses brother Aaron, was sent with Moses to stand in the presence of Pharaoh, and, in the name of Jehovah, to demand the release and liberty of the children of Israel. The Lord gave Moses a rod. That rod is described in Exodus 4:1 to 5. That rod would turn into a serpent and then turn back into a rod. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him what the Lord had commanded them. Note Pharaoh’s reply: “And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2. “Then Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he added greater affliction to Israel.”

GOD’S SIGNS TO PHARAOH

The following miracles .were performed in the presence of Pharaoh

1. Moses’ rod became a serpent. Exodus 7:10.

2. The waters of Egypt were turned into blood. Exodus 7:20.

3. “And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.” Exodus 8:6.

4. There came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh. Exodus 8:24.

5. The cattle of the Egyptians visited with disease and death. Exodus 9:1 to 7.

6. God sent boils upon the men and beasts of Egypt. Exodus 9:10.

7. The hail plague. Exodus 9:24 and 26: “So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.”

8. The plague of locusts. “And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.” Exodus 10:14.

9. The plague of darkness. “And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.” Exodus 10:22.

THE SMITING OF THE FIRST BORN

Exodus 11:4 to 7

“And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”

Exodus 12:28 to 30

“And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead.”

THE PASSOVER

“For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” I Corinthians 5:7. Thus we see that what happened that dark and awful night in Egypt spoke of the work of the Lamb of God Who suffered for sins and for sinners on Calvary’s cross.

Exodus 12:1 to 7

“And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.”

Exodus 13:3 and 4

“And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall be no leavened bread to be eaten. This day came ye out in the month Abib.”

Exodus 12:12 to 14

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations: ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

Exodus 12:26 to 28 and 42

“And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.”

“It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.”

Pharaoh’s heart was again hardened and he sent his army in pursuit of the Israelites who were leaving the land of Egypt to start for their promised land Canaan. The Israelites were sore afraid. Moses calmed them with these words

Exodus 14:13 to 15

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward;”

Exodus 14:19 to 31

“And the Angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians. And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.”

We should study prayerfully and carefully this marvelous work of God in behalf of Israel. In Exodus 15:1 to 19 is recorded the song of Moses and Israel, giving praise to Jehovah for their deliverance.

“So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.” Exodus 15:22.

ISRAEL ACROSS THE RED SEA

The bitter waters of Marah were miraculously made sweet. Israel came to Elim where there were twelve wells of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped there. Exodus 15:27. God sent manna down from heaven to feed His people: “And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wilt not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.” Exodus 16:14 and 15.

Now compare with this the statements of Christ in the sixth chapter of John

John 6:30 to 35 and 51

“They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, an giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

Now compare:

EXODUS 17:1 to 7

1 “And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim and there was no water for the people to drink.

2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me, wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?

3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel. and because they tempted the Lord saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?”

I Corinthians 10:1 to 10

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”

Then the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites. Joshua defeated them. Exodus 17:8 to 16

MOSES AND HIS LEADERS

Exodus 18:25 and 26

“And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.”

ISRAEL A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS

Exodus 19:3 to 6

“And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE GIVING OF THE LAW

EXODUS 19:18 to 25

“And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish. And let the priests also, which come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them. And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargest us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. And the Lord said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord, lest he break forth upon them. So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.”

Hebrews 12:18 to 21

“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake.)”

Acts 15:10

“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

How many Israelites went own to Egypt about 1700 B. C.? Seventy. Exodus 1:1 to 5. How many Israelites came up from Egypt about 1495 B. C.? “And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.” Exodus 12:37.

Let us keep in mind then that there were no Israelites before the flood. There was no Nation Israel until several centuries after Noah left the ark. The Nation Israel began with Jacob and his twelve sons. Israel (Israelite, Israelites) is found 2571 times in the Bible.

The Nation Israel was preserved and protected in Egypt under the Abrahamic Covenant. From the call of Abram to the deliverance of Israel from Egypt God’s people were not under the law. Moses lived 80 years not under the law, and 40 years under the law. After Moses received the law he was under the Abrahamic Covenant and the Law (Old) Covenant during the last 40 years of his life.

QUESTIONS-LESSON ELEVEN

1. How many souls out of the loins of Jacob (Israel) went down to Egypt more than 200 years before the law was given?

2. In Genesis 15:13 to 16 what did God say He would do for Israel in Egypt and when?

3. Who was the first of the house of Israel to go to Egypt?

4. From what tribe of Israel did Moses come? Who was his brother?

5. What does the name “Moses” mean:

6. Who employed Moses’ mother to nurse Moses?

7. Show how Moses’ life was divided into three 40 year periods.

8. Describe God’s visit to Moses and his message when God chose him to deliver Israel.

9. Mention five of the miracles performed by Moses in Pharaoh’s presence.

10. What did God remember that caused Him to deliver Israel? What about the gifts and calling of God?

11. Tell the story of the smiting of the firstborn and the Passover.

12. Tell the story of Israel crossing the fled Sea.

13. Describe the giving of the manna, its meaning, and what did that manna typify?

14. According to I Corinthians 10:4, of what did the journeying Israelites drink?

15. Of Whom did that rock speak and of Whom did the Passover lamb speak?

16. Tell two of Israel’s murmurings.

17. What kind of a kingdom was Israel to be to God according to Exodus 19:6?

18. What did God tell Moses at Sinai immediately before giving the law?

19. About how many Israelites came out of Egypt about 1495 B. C. if there were 600,000 men?

20. Under what covenant was Israel before the law was added (Galatians 3:19)?